Hannibal Recap: S2Ep2 Sakizuke

Episode one set the table (sorry, it’s just so easy), revealing the season’s *ulp* “dessert.” Because who doesn’t love eating desert first?

Where did that leave us with the season at large then?

Don’t worry. It left us with a full twelve course meal (well, now I’ve lost complete control over it).

Twelve episodes to watch Hannibal fall.

I was so, so wrong. I thought the rest of the season would point us to Hannibal’s single massive misstep. I had no thought of it being a slow burn, of watching it unfold in a sort of real time.

And I’m rather glad I flubbed it. My way was the easy way. The trope way, the typical way.

I should have trusted Fuller et al a bit more. I should have known they could tip their hand while continuing to ratchet up the tension and the suspense.

Lesson learned.

Sakizuke, the multi-course appetizer is, of course, the place to start.

“Sakizuke is the first course in kaiseki and is an appetizer. The two most prominent features this serving is the sakaki leaf and the cow on the lid of the ceramic serving tray. Shinto gods are believed to dwell in the sakaki tree and here it’s leaves are used to invite god to dinner as well… The chopsticks are special too, both ends are tapered, the tapered end is used for eating. Symbolically the meal is shared with god.

The sakizuke course contains a few bites of 5 dishes that appeared in osechi ryori; including baby carp simmered in sweetened shoyu with ginger, kuruma-ebi (shrimp), hirame kombumaki (flounder with ginger rolled in kelp), and black bean with tsukushi bud.”

Shared with god, huh? Well, Hannibal certainly thinks he’s god. Which makes the choice both apropos and chock full of fantastic hubris.

Hannibal also thinks he’s in control.

Will is in prison. The FBI is consulting Hannibal. Dr. Du Marier is absolutely terrified (another foresight failure on my part; while she clearly knows Hannibal is capable of manipulation and murder, she isn’t complicit in the serial aspect, though I find it hard to believe she doesn’t, at the very least, have an inkling) but she leaves her entire life behind rather than risk with wrath.

Hannibal persists in his belief he’s the smartest of the cabal, but Will is ahead of him both as regards the FBI case and whatever passion play he’s setting up pretending to beg Hannibal’s assistance. Then, Hannibal agrees to profile the “Color Palette Killer;” Hannibal watches this dude work work (small error number one), collaborates with the murderer to finish the project (small error number two), and then delivers the whole enchilada to the FBI (slightly larger fuck up) and assuming they’re too dull to figure it out (wuh-oh). Worse still, in his efforts in inhabit all aspects of Will’s world, to insert himself into the minds of other killers, he leaves a body.

He leaves evidence unconsumed.

As Hannibal himself proves by scenting corn in the cracks in the embalming fluid, where there’s a body, there’s evidence.

Will asks Beverly to look for evidence. How much you wanna bet she finds it?

And while I really blew the directional call on Ep2, I still think she gets eaten before the end of the season.

Tiny quibble: Jack gives Beverly the “we never had this conversation” nod to go back to Will with case files immediately following his discussion with the FBI psychiatrist. He’s beating the crap out of himself for making a bad judgement call (as far as he’s concerned) and then, he immediately makes it again. Is he that desperate? That stupid? Or is there a still small voice insisting that rather than trying to reconcile to opposite parts of his friend, he’s made a decision on which one he thinks is real? Indecision has never been on of Jack’s failing, for good or for ill and while I can see him being shaken by the Will fiasco but this is a bit much…

Speaking of WIll. Scary Will is scary. Scary Will is absolutely terrifying. Way, way more frightening than Hannibal. Which leads to a new question: is Hannibal trying to frame Will or make him into a kindred spirit? A brother in murder? If the former, well, he fucked that up royally, he just doesn’t know it yet. Nor does anyone else for that matter. If the later, Hannibal may have succeeded. Succeeded but miscalculated. Seriously.

And keep in mind, Will has spent the past two episodes, for the most part, in a cage. Hugh Dancy is relaying the character 99.99999% through facial expression and voice which is freakin’ amazing. I mean, on par with David Tennant’s quick change Time Lord performance.

Watch your back, Lecter. Will Graham is going to put a knife in it sooner or later. And I don’t think he’s interested in making it quick.

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Shiri Sondheimer

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